Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been observed to be one of the leading causes of death globally. It is a group of diseases that are associated with heart and blood vessels. It includes diseases such as Coronary artery disease, Cardiovascular disease, hypertensive heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, etc.
Atherosclerosis, a condition wherein plaque builds-up in the arteries, is a leading cause of CVD. The risk factors of CVD include high blood pressure, hypertension, stress, hyperlipidemia, Diabetes, physical inactivity, Obesity, etc. These are the risk factors that may be regulated to prevent CVDs. There also exists other risk factors such as old age, gender, family history, etc. that cannot be regulated.
Most CVDs can be prevented by mitigating the established risk factors. Implementation of certain lifestyle modifications such as maintaining a healthy diet, limited alcohol consumption, tobacco cessation, reduced sugar consumption, stress management, etc alone can prove helpful in mitigating the risk of developing CVDs. However, if lifestyle modifications prove to be inadequate in preventing CVD, medication or medical procedure may be necessary.
Being one of the leading causes of death globally, extensive research in order to develop drugs capable of treating CVD has been performed. Modern medicine offers a wide array of drugs for the same. Treatments with these medicines depend on the type of CVD. The various types of drugs include ACE inhibitors, Antiarrhythmic, Angiotensin II receptor blockers, Calcium Channel blockers, Digoxin, Diuretics, Nitrates, etc. However, managing CVDs may be a lifelong effort and may require extensive usage of medication. Allopathic interventions often have an untoward or undesirable side effect when used extensively.
Alternatively, ayurvedic interventions have also been known in treating Cardiovascular Diseases. Many herbal formulations have been developed based on the knowledge of the healing properties of various herbs. However, the effectiveness of such formulations is arguable. There exists a need for an effective method of treating/managing Cardiovascular Diseases.